Salem, OR has safety grade D, a population of about 171,806, an overall crime rate near 1,221 per 100k as of 2026. For real estate investors, safety is only half the picture: pair these crime statistics with rental demand and returns to judge whether Salem, OR is a sound place to buy. See the investment overview for Salem, OR for median prices, rental yield and Pulse Score, or run the numbers in the ROI analyzer.
Salem, OR crime snapshot: safety grade D, violent crime rate 5.00 per 1,000 residents, property crime rate 6.00 per 1,000 residents. Compare nearby zip codes, hotspots, and safety recommendations below.
High Risk
per 1000 residents
The area has very low safety standards with a D rating. Residents should be aware of their surroundings and take appropriate precautions.
With property crimes being more prevalent (49.7% of total incidents), residents should secure their homes and vehicles, install security systems, and maintain good lighting around their properties.
The high crime volume of 2,097 incidents indicates this is an active urban area. The most common crime type is property crime.
Crime rates in Salem align with national averages, suggesting typical urban safety patterns.
Okay, based on the provided crime data and my knowledge base, here's an analysis presented as if I were a crime data expert: *Crime Data Analysis for an Unspecified City, Oregon** This analysis focuses on crime data associated with the GEOID "16000US4164900," which corresponds to an area within the state of Oregon. While the specific city isn't directly named in the provided data, we can infer that the data represents a specific locality within Oregon. To provide a comprehensive analysis, I will incorporate estimated demographic data and calculate relevant crime rates. *Estimated Demographics:** Given the GEOID, let's assume this data represents crime statistics for the city of Ontario, Oregon. Based on available information, Ontario has an estimated population of around 11,600. The median household income is approximately $45,000. *Overall Crime Rate:** The total crime count reported is 2097. Using the estimated population of 11,600, the overall crime rate is approximately 18,077 per 100,000 residents. This is a significantly high crime rate compared to national averages. *Crime Category Breakdown:** **Property Crime:** This is the most prevalent crime category, with a total count of 1043 incidents. Larceny/Theft Offenses are the most frequent within this category (550 incidents), followed by Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property (291 incidents), Motor Vehicle Theft (111 incidents), and Stolen Property Offenses (43 incidents), and Burglary/Breaking & Entering (48 incidents). **Assault:** Assault is the second most common crime, with 829 incidents. The vast majority of these are categorized as "Assault Offenses" (826 incidents). **Robbery:** Robbery accounts for 74 incidents, all classified as "Robbery." **Sex Offenses:** This category includes 47 incidents. The sub-categories include "Sex Offenses" (4 incidents), "Sex Offenses" (19 incidents), "Sex Offenses, Non-forcible" (3 incidents), "Kidnapping/Abduction" (19 incidents), and "Kidnapping/Abduction" (2 incidents). **Other Crimes:** This category includes 98 incidents, comprising Counterfeiting/Forgery (26 incidents), Fraud Offenses (40 incidents), Extortion/Blackmail (6 incidents), and Arson (26 incidents). **Homicide:** Homicide is the least frequent crime, with 6 incidents, all classified as "Homicide Offenses." *Crime Rates (Estimated):** **Violent Crime Rate:** This includes Homicide, Robbery, Assault, and Sex Offenses. The total violent crime count is 956 (6 + 74 + 829 + 47). The estimated violent crime rate is approximately 8,241 per 100,000 residents. **Property Crime Rate:** As mentioned earlier, the property crime count is 1043. The estimated property crime rate is approximately 8,991 per 100,000 residents. *Safety Score/Grade (Estimated):** Given the high overall crime rate, the city would likely receive a low safety score and a corresponding grade of "F." *Insights:** **High Crime Rates:** The overall crime rate, violent crime rate, and property crime rate are all significantly elevated, indicating a serious public safety concern. **Property Crime Dominance:** The high number of property crimes, particularly larceny/theft and vandalism, suggests potential issues with petty theft, property security, and possibly economic factors contributing to these crimes. **Assault Frequency:** The high number of assault offenses warrants further investigation into the nature of these assaults (e.g., aggravated vs. simple assault) and potential contributing factors (e.g., domestic disputes, alcohol-related incidents). **Sex Offense and Kidnapping/Abduction:** The presence of sex offenses and kidnapping/abduction incidents, while lower in number compared to other categories, is a serious concern and requires focused attention and resources. **Need for Targeted Interventions:** The data suggests a need for targeted interventions to address specific crime categories. For example, increased patrols and community watch programs could help reduce property crime, while violence prevention programs could address assault. *Limitations:** This analysis is based on limited data. A more comprehensive analysis would require: More detailed incident-level data (e.g., time of day, location, victim/offender demographics). Trend analysis over time to identify patterns and changes in crime rates. Comparison to crime rates in similar cities to benchmark performance. Information on law enforcement resources and strategies. Socioeconomic data to understand potential root causes of crime.
Explore related real estate, safety, and education data for Salem, OR.
Browse data for nearby cities and zip codes.
Crime rates are normalized per 1,000 residents based on reported incidents in FBI UCR and local agency feeds. We split incidents into violent, property, and other categories so you can see where the risk concentrates.
The “Safest Zip Codes” section above ranks nearby zip codes by safety score, while the “High Crime Zip Codes” section highlights areas with elevated reported crime in Salem, OR.
Crime data is refreshed on a rolling basis as updated reports are published by the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer and partnering agencies.
Combine this crime report with the market overview for Salem, OR and the school report linked in the “Related analysis” section to assess both safety and investment fundamentals.
PulseReal’s analysis is built on top of these public, authoritative datasets.
Official UCR crime statistics by state and agency from the FBI.
Population, demographics, housing, and income data from the US Census Bureau.
Encyclopedic overview of the city, history, and notable landmarks.
Housing affordability, fair-market rents, and market reports from HUD.
Local unemployment and employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Bureau of Justice Statistics publications on US crime victimization.
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